Being an entrepreneur comes with a massive set of challenges, trials, and tribulations, and being a mom on top of that - whew!
That is definitely what runs through the minds of most people when they hear the word ‘mompreneur’. Yes, it is true that running a business and starting a family simultaneously requires a lot of patience, flexibility, persistence, and passion with the ability to multi-task, but if one really puts their heart into it, it isn’t impossible. Mompreneurs rely a lot on their real-life experiences and the needs and voids they identify with in their daily lives when it comes to their business, and strategizing these into workable ideas can be a huge boost to the company. Keeping certain things in mind can prove to be extremely beneficial for mompreneurs in the growth of their businesses.
● A Solid Plan of Action
The first and most important step that actually lays the foundation for the business of a prospective mompreneur is developing a realistic and achievable plan of action. Whether one has kids or not, getting a new business up and running requires a lot of time, energy, dedication, and, of course, money, and consumes the majority time of one’s day. When one has kids that require love, attention, and necessities like clothes and food, things become even more complex. It is therefore important to think ahead and strategize a plan that would enable the mother to strike a balance between their roles.
● Fusing Concepts and Passion
The business concept must be based on something that the individual feels passionate about. It is a really bad idea to start a business just for the sake of owning one- unless one feels a true calling for their work, they can never put in the effort that they need to get their business to reach the heights of its potential. A successful business plan requires months of thinking, dreaming, and researching, and with a child to look after, unless one is absolutely driven, putting in the dual effort can turn out to be truly fatiguing and cause significant degradation in the mother’s mental and physical health.
● Ensure That there is a Balance and Boundary between Work and Home
Each individual has a different way of handling work and family, and therefore boundaries have to be set accordingly. Some businesses require individuals to travel to distant locations for various reasons, including promotion. Schedules and work hours must be planned after keeping in mind that moms have two different worlds to look after and each deserves quality time.
● Get Help
Juggling work and kids is a super-human task in itself and trying to do everything oneself is almost impossible. It is therefore important for mompreneurs to set up a strong support system and can take over some of the responsibilities. Ask for help when it is needed because there will always be people who would put their best foot forward when it comes to working. It is okay to send the occasional SOS, be it at work or home. Sometimes there might be an emergency at work that needs your unwavering attention and it is important to ask for someone to look after the kids. Similarly, there might be an emergency at home when one has to be with the kids, so a mompreneur needs to ask to keep someone who might take over the workings of the business in their absence.
Running a business might seem easy and glamorous at the outset but it requires just as much hard work and patience. So is the case with being a mother. But the common point of both is that they are equally rewarding, educational, and fun.
